1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to demand response control and, more specifically, to a system and method for bidirectional demand response control.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The independent system operator (ISO) is a central authority manages how power is generated, transmitted and distributed. The ISO may manage scheduling and pricing of power and may ensure that the power demanded at any given moment is no greater than available power.
At certain times when power demand peaks, for example, during particularly hot days in which air conditioner usage is exceptional, the ISO may have trouble satisfying power demand. In such instances, rolling blackouts, in which power is intentionally cut to various geographic regions for a fixed period of time, may be used as a last resort to prevent damage to the power generation/distribution system and/or wide-spread power outages. As rolling blackouts may cut power to customers without regard to the urgency with which power is required, rolling blackouts may adversely affect health, property, and profitability to a greater extent than is necessary.
To limit the necessity for rolling blackouts, many ISOs employ demand response (DR) programs. Power customers may participate in DR programs on a voluntary basis by signing an agreement with the ISO by which the customer agrees to shed a quantity of electrical load upon the request of the ISO. The request for the curtailment of power is known as a demand, and accordingly, the shedding of power load by the customer is known as a demand response (DR). The manifestation of a request for the curtailment of power may be known as a DR event.
Existing DR programs generally involve a representative of the ISO contacting a representative of each power customer with instructions to shed a quantity of electrical load. The customer would then be expected to curtail power usage accordingly. Penalties for failure to accommodate the demand of the ISO to shed electrical load may be relatively light when measured against the potential loss associated with curtailing power usage and accordingly, it is common for participating customers to fail to fulfill their contractual obligations to satisfy the DR event.
To accommodate non-compliance, the ISO may issue requests for the curtailment of power utilization to more customers and to greater extents than is actually necessary. This may result in inefficiency as more customers may be contractually obligated to shed greater amounts of electrical load than is actually necessary to align electrical supply and demand. Moreover, as certain customers may continuously fail to meet their contractual obligations as other customers consistently take the necessary actions to satisfy the DR events, these DR programs may be unfair.